February 11: Psalm 36:5-6
Key Verse: Psalm 36:5
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Devotion:
I do like watching films about the things mankind is doing in space – about the lengths they are going to find what is going on with the planets around us... even though they are millions of miles away from us! The way we are getting pictures sent back from another planet is just remarkable... And when someone does finally step on Mars or some other planet, we will be reminded of the words Neil Armstrong used when they set foot on the moon.
God is there! No matter how far we think we have gone in space, God is still there with us! No matter how little air there is, or lack of gravity and light, God is there! He continues to be faithful and just no matter what we get up to. No mountain is too high, no sea too deep, no planet too far, God is there!
And on of the most pleasing things to me is how God is there for all animals and mammals and insects and all manner of life! God cares for all of His creation and will continue caring for it all for as long as He deems necessary. We don’t know the limits of it, the time, the depth, the height – they are all just measurements we put on things to try and allow us to figure things out!
Nothing will ever cost too much for God and nothing will ever be too cheap for God! Just as we are as important as the sparrows in the marketplace, so too are the things going on other planets we can hardly see with our own eyes! Don’t try and limit the everlasting all-encompassing love of God. As I watched the snow flurries drifting past my window today, I was in awe of God’s creation once again!
Points to Ponder:
What makes you think of God?
Will you give more credit to God’s creation today?
February 10: Psalm 33:1-4
Key Verse: Psalm 33:3
Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy.
Devotion:
I marvel at people who are skilled musically and who can lead worship! I am normally the other end of the scale trying to make what they produce sound good in churches or other buildings – I'm the sound engineer! Whatever we are skilled at we should be willing to use our skill to bring praise and worship to Christ our King!
We may be skilled at typesetting and can produce the sheets of words we use to sing to God. You may be skilled at making people feel welcome and meet and greet people as they come in. You could be fit and help put out chairs and stack them away afterward. You could be skilled at talking and studying and am able to teach others. You could be skilled at thinking about all the things needed to pray for. You could be skilled at making flower arrangements...
You could simply be good at timekeeping and arrive at church on time giving the meet and greet people a lift as they welcome you, making the people who set out the chairs feel like they have done something worthwhile, making the florists happy people enjoying the flowers, making the speakers more confident to teach, giving the sound technicians a task to bring the best sound forward from the worship band who see the people and thrive in worship...
Bringing joy to Christ our King who sees every little step every person does and accepts with open arms and heart the worship and love we all pour out to Him.
No matter what part of the chain we are – God sees us all and is overjoyed when we praise Him!
Points to Ponder:
What do you do to worship God?
Will you think of something else you may be able to do?
February 9: 1 Corinthians 9:16-18
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 9:18
What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.
Devotion:
I have often been asked why I don’t advertise my devotionals or charge for them or make them into a book; I guess this passage says it all for me. I do this because I want to keep myself in the Gospel as well as knowing that I am giving the gospel to others for free – as it was intended to be. I despair at the history books when the church tried to restrict who could have access to the gospel by chaining bibles down in churches!
God has requested we each play our part in telling others the gospel truth. Jesus came to reinforce this by giving the disciples permission to go out and teach to the people and not just the Israelites, but all the Gentile world as well! Maybe Jesus opened up the doors because it was getting to be a bit of a select group of people. Maybe the early preachers in our history were placed there to open the doors to those who needed it because the church was becoming a select group.
Our church still has an air of selectiveness or even oppression – open the doors and shout out the gospel! God wants His word to be heard up and down the land without limits. God wants us to share the gospel with our neighbours and them with their neighbours – this is how the gospel is spread.
I know some people want to be able to make a living out of being a preacher who can go up and down the lands to spread the word, but maybe God is simply saying we need to focus on the people who are close to us and allow the natural spread of the word to gain ground like it was intended!
Points to Ponder:
How many people know you as a Christian?
How many of those people are outside of your normal church group?
February 8: Mark 1:29-34
Key Verse: Mark 1:31
So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
Devotion:
Ok, let’s be honest... how many times have you said you were going to do something for God when you were not too well or in a bad place... but when you came out the other end of the bad session, you kinds forgot about the promise you made... I know I am guilty on a few occasions, but I also know God has continued to be by my side even when I have let Him down!
When Jesus came to the house of Simon and Andrew after ‘church’ at the synagogue, He heard how Simon's mother-in-law was ill in bed. He went through to her and healed her, not to have someone to wait on them but because He had compassion on them all, for the mother-in-law and for the rest of the family too – what better way to spend the day than with the full family and not just those who are not off ill!
The Holy Spirit continues to reach out to us and wants us to join in the work for God no matter where we are and no matter how we feel. If we are at the end of our tether, He is there to give us the support we need. If we are about to explode with happiness, He is there for the party with us! God wants to be in our life at all times.
God wants us to enjoy our lives with Him and He is willing to bring healing and restoration to any of us who do ask. We should be willing to get on with doing God’s work no matter where we are in our own lives and not to have to wait until the “time is right” or “we have enough funds” or whatever other excuse we use in our human nature. Set aside human nature and live in God’s nature!
Points to Ponder:
How are you coping during these rough times?
How much are you doing with what God has given you?